Herald of Steel

In the slave market, strong male slaves were always in the greatest demand, desired to be used as extra hands in all sorts of manual work- farming, mining, looking after livestock, transport, assistants, you name it.

But as could be seen from their prices, they were not cheap.

Even normal, healthy slaves cost an average farmer three to four years of his entire annual income, and powerful warriors could go two, three, or if they were famous enough even up to ten times the value.

So buying a slave was roughly the modern equivalent of buying a house or mansion.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Except this 'house' had the risk of being moody, temperamental, disloyal, a tendency to run away, and worst of all, falling ill and dying!

In the other cases, at least there was a chance to retrieve or even sell the slave away to make back some of the money.

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But a slave dying was a cause of great misery for many middle class and even some rich families.

This was the same as a modern man losing his house to a flood or hurricane, and having no insurance to cover it, i.e.- the equivalent of losing one's own entire life savings.

Thus, because of the enormous risks involved, the customers were understandably very thorough in checking their goods before buying.

They poked and prodded every muscle in the slave's body for any lump or unnatural softness.

Inspected the mouth for any hidden diseases like scurvy or rot and some men even brazenly shoved their fingers into the slaves' mouth to feel for the teeth at the back, checking for missing dentals or decay.

All these were thought to be signs of a weak, unfit slave.

Some even took the checking to the next extreme, having the slaves shed their loin clothes and check for warts or infections around the crotch.

Given the humidity of the season and lack of general hygiene in the slave pens, it was very common for men to develop diseases around there from all the sweat and chaffing.

….

Right beside the strong male slave types, another popular sub type were young boys and adolescents.

They were catered to more target the poorer class as they cost quite less than their adult counterpart, but many rich and famous also bought them for both utilitarian and hedonistic reasons.

"Dear masters, why spend your coin on these brutes? Come, see this young Cantagenian boy here! Quick, clever, and ideal for a household servant. Just 4,000 ropal! He even speaks some Azhak and learns quickly. Perfect for the busy matron!"

"Unbroken boys from Iyizarids! Healthy and quick learners, knows how to take care of horses and sheep, fit for household service or errands. Train them as you please! Only 3,000!"

"Three sons of a destroyed noble house from Thesos! All well learned and mannered. Speaks Azhak! Perfect servants for any lord's house, squires for the young master, and bed mates to play with! Only 70,000 ropals for the trio! A bargain, a bargain!"

As seen, the prices varied greatly for these young boys, based on their skills, origins, and looks.

It was also apparently not a social faux pas to advertise these boys' 'other' skills, unlike the men's.

Hence there was a large crowd looking to purchase them.

….

Standing side by side with this crowd, were the people looking to purchase a maid, cooks, nannies, or in general a house servant.

Both young boys and girls mostly did the same things in the house, hence they would be mostly found lumped together,

"Beautiful maidens from the Cisran Hills! Skilled in weaving, sewing, and household tasks. "Gentle and obedient—ideal for your villa!"

"Barbarian women, strong and tireless! Excellent for work in the kitchen, fields, or loom. They won't disappoint! Only 5,000 ropal!"

"Young and obedient girls from Jabel! Perfect for taking care of the child! Perfect for taking care of the master, hehehe. Well-behaved and ready to serve your household! Look at those lips! Plump and full!"

"Matrona, come closer! Here is a young girl from my own village. Her father sold her to me! She is a genius at cooking. One try of her lamb porridge will impress even the Pasha! She's also gentle, obedient, and never speaks a word without permission, ideal for your household. Only 4,000 ropals!"

"Hmmm… she seems too young to work hard. How old is she? Has she been trained?"

"Indeed, indeed she has good madam, indeed she has! She's been trained in all the basic tasks. I saw her grow up right in front of me. Her mother taught her everything. She will reach eight summers this year! Very obedient, very clever!"

"Mmmm, and is she unbroken?"

"Ahhh, yes, yes! Of course, I checked it myself. She was supposed to be married this year but there was a bad harvest. The father had to sell her to pay the local lord his taxes. You will never get such a good deal!"

"Hmmm, okay.. 2,500 ropals!"

"Madam…this! Please allow me to put some food on the table for my children. I paid that much just to buy her! What about the food, transport, clothes, and training? Three and a half thousand! That's my final offer! I cannot go a coin less!"

"*Snort*... who would pay that much for a skinny brat like this? Don't think I don't know you sleazy slaver types. I bet you only paid that poor father the year's tax amount for his girl. And which lord in the world charges that much in taxes? Like I said, 2,500 ropals! Or I am walking!"

"No! No! Matrona, she is from my own village. How can I treat her like the others?"

"No, please do not go, madam! 3,000! 3,000 is my last offer."

"Remember she is a virgin! Remember she is only eight years old. She can serve you for many summers and many winters! Please, she will surely grow up into a reliable servant under Madam's guidance. I swear it. Come! Come!"

".... Okay, fine! 3,000 ropals is it. Girl! Remember me and my husband are fair but harsh masters. You will have to work hard during the day and then accompany us at night. Now lift up your dress and let me see down there. My dear likes it young and tight there!

"Hehehe, master surely has immaculate taste. Aya girl, why are you standing still? Hurry, hurry, show your madam. Don't be shy! What is there to be ashamed about? She will see everything soon anyway."

"See, madam! Thin like a hairline crack! Smooth as a butter and not a hair in sight. I told you, I examined her personally. No defects, no diseases, no second rate good here! Buy her with absolute confidence!"

....

Although the above example might seem extremely tasteless to a modern audience, such dealing there a dime a dozen here.

Women tended to usually go for a third to half of what a similar man went for, but in return, they also usually had to endure less physical hardship.

Cooking, cleaning, sewing, mending, and taking care of the kids, a large part of these jobs were done indoors, which at least gave some respite from the sweltering sun or the freezing rains.

This is not to say the girls had it easier than the boys, they had their own trials, the most conspicuous being having to lay with their master without any say in it and many times unwittingly becoming pregnant.

But society of the time seemed to think this was easier than working the fields or mines in those abject weathers.

….

Now one type of slave that truly did have it easy were the skilled and learned ones- artisans, skilled tradesmen, and learned individuals.

They were multiple times more expensive than the ordinary laborers and almost exclusively bought by the rich and powerful.

And because of their high status clientele, they were not even sold like the rest of the plebians.

Unlike the common slave man unkemptly dressed in a sheer loincloth, and women dressed in poor, low quality chiltons or robes and then left to sweat under the sun, these highly prized goods were smartly dressed in beautiful, colorful clothes, offered a shade from the sun and occasionally even had a slave attendant.

They were treated better even most commoners.

And if you heard what they went for, you would agree, they deserved very bit of that luxury.

"Look here! A young, educated scribe from Ankoot! Fluent in Tibian, Azhak, and Thesis, perfect for working as a translator or tutoring your children! Only 30,000 ropals"

"Look no further, patricians! A skilled scribe from the maester halls of the capital— educated in philosophy and mathematics! He can take care of your books, tutor your children, write poetry for your guests, and debate with even the most erudite of scholars in any literary gathering.

"Imagine the prestige he'll bring to your villa. Only 70,000 ropals! For someone of his status, this is a bargain. Come, come, do not miss this rare treasure!"

"Oh? How did a respectable measter from the capital end up here? Did he offend the head priest?"

The one who made his query was none other than Alexander, who always had a hunger to obtain skilled, learned men.

Let us say no to piracy! Don't take part in a crime! Don't patronize thieves!

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